Adjustable safety bumper

ABSTRACT

An adjustable bumper system that can be easily attached to a vehicle and removed and replaced if damaged. The bumper system includes housings that are mounted to the rails of the vehicle. The housings are independently mounted and thus can be mounted to any vehicle regardless of the spacing of the rails. A vertically extending member is attached to the housing and includes a face plate that is operable to receive a bracket. The bracket and the face plate are used to attach a step portion of the bumper assembly. The combination of the housing and the mounting brackets allow for a bumper system that can be universally mounted to any trailer or vehicle.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 10/293,374 which issued on Jul. 20, 2004 as U.S. Pat. No.6,764,116 and claims the benefit of the filing date of the followingU.S. Provisional Patent Applications: Ser. No. 60/383,942 titledADJUSTABLE SAFETY BUMPER and filed on May 30, 2002 and Ser. No.60/349,499 titled SAFETY TRAILER BUMPER and filed on Jan. 18, 2002.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the trucking industry and, moreparticularly to bumper systems and bumper components to be used fortrucks and trailers.

The Department of Transportation (“DOT”), among other things, providesregulations for controlling the safety of the trucking industry. One ofthe areas regulated by the DOT is the configuration and use of bumperson tractor-trailers and trucks. One of the key factors driving theregulations concerning bumpers is the protection of automobile drivers.The operating environment for trucks and tractor-trailers can easilyresult in the occurrence of damage to a bumper. This damage can oftentimes result in the bumper falling outside of the DOT regulations. Toensure conformance with DOT regulations, it is necessary to inspect thebumpers of truck and tractor trailers, and periodically repair orreplace the same. This process can be expensive and time consuming.Thus, there is a need in the art for a technique to reduce the expenseassociated with maintaining conformance with DOT regulations pertainingto truck and tractor-trailer bumpers.

Currently, most bumper configurations are rigidly mounted to a frame orsome sort of a non-rebounding impact absorption means. Both of theseconfigurations result in the need for the repair or replacement of abumper that has been subject to an impact (i.e., backing into theloading dock or being struck by another moving vehicle from behind).Thus, current bumper configurations are subject to permanent deformationupon impact. The replacement or repair of such bumpers can be quitecostly. The labor cost can be costly but even more important, is thepotential revenue lost while the truck or tractor-trailer is taken outof commission. Thus, there is a need in the art for a bumper system thatcan reduce the need for replacement or repair due to impact and toreduce the cost associated with maintaining the trucks andtractor-trailers in commission.

Currently, bumpers are attached to trucks and tractor-trailers by beingwelded to the frame of the vehicle or trailer. To replace such a bumper,costly labor is necessary to cut the bumper free and weld a new orrepaired bumper in its place. Thus, there is a need in the art for abumper system that can be more easily replaced and at a reduced cost.

The rugged operating environment for trucks and tractor-trailers oftenresults in damage being incurred. One common situation is the damageincurred while backing a truck or trailer up to a loading dock. It wouldbe greatly beneficial to have a mechanism that could warn a truck driverthat contact with an object has been made and thus, allow the driver tostop the vehicle and prevent the occurrence of damage. Thus, there is aneed in the art for a contact warning mechanism for bumpers.

Due to the stringent regulations promulgated by the DOT, it has beendifficult to conceive of a bumper system that can meet theabove-identified needs in the art, as well as maintain conformance withthe DOT regulations. This is especially true in attempting to conceiveof a universally adaptable bumper system that can be utilized on a widevariety of trucking platforms. For instance, the DOT regulations requirethat a rear bumper must maintain a distance of 22 inches from theground, even after being deformed through contact. Typical bumpers thatallow for movement during impact result in a violation of thisregulation. Thus, there is a need in the art for a bumper system thataddresses the above-identified needs in the art and that maintainsconformance with DOT regulations.

What is needed, therefore, is a bumper configuration that is lesssusceptible to damage caused by impact, and thus can help reduce thecost associated with the repair or replacement of the bumper, canprovide an impact warning indicator to the driver and that maintainsconformance with DOT regulations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In general, the present invention is a fully adjustable bumper systemthat absorbs impact to avoid damage to the bumper. More specifically,the present invention can be described as a bumper system that includesone or more housings that can be attached to the rails or a vehicle ortrailer and once installed, can be used to conveniently and easilyattach a bumper assembly. The housings are independently attached to therails or frame and thus, the actual distance between the rails isirrelevant. Once installed, the housings can receive verticallyextending members of a bumper assembly and allow the bumper assembly tobe bolted to the housing. For bumper assemblies that include adjustablevertically extending members, the housing can be used to install anysuch bumper system. Also, the housings can be used to install bumperassemblies that do not include adjustable vertically extending membersbut rather, are specifically designed for a particular rail width. Thus,advantageously the present invention allows substantial flexibility inthe installation of bumper assemblies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front and side view of the vertical pivoting assembly.

FIG. 2 is a two side view of the stop assembly.

FIG. 3 is a side view bumper assembly.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the horizontal adjustment assembly.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the vertical adjustment assembly.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the bumper system of the present invention inthe extended, or at rest position.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bumper system of the present invention inthe retracted or engaged position.

FIG. 8 is a front view of one embodiment of the assembled bumper system.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the assembled bumpersystem.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the front stop assembly of an alternateembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the stop assemblyof the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the bumper assemblyof the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view of the vertical adjustment assembly.

FIG. 14 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the bumper systemof the present invention in the extended, or at rest position.

FIG. 15 is a side view of an alternate embodiment of the bumper systemof the present invention in the retracted or engaged position.

FIG. 16 is a front view of another embodiment of the assembled bumpersystem.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the assembledbumper system.

FIG. 18 a is a front view of a mounting assembly for a bumper system.

FIG. 18 b is a side view of a mounting assembly for a bumper system.

FIG. 19 a is a front view of another mounting assembly for a bumpersystem.

FIG. 19 b is a side view of another mounting assembly for a bumpersystem.

FIG. 20 a is a front view of another mounting assembly for a bumpersystem.

FIG. 20 b is a side view of another mounting assembly for a bumpersystem.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Now, turning to the figures in which like labels represent like elementsthrough out the figures, embodiments of the present invention areprovided. In one embodiment of the present invention, fivesub-assemblies are utilized. These sub-assemblies can best be seen inconjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9 and include a bumper 21, a horizontaladjustment arm (16, 17 and 18), a vertical adjustment arm (15 and 16), avertical pivoting assembly (5, 6 and 14 of FIGS. 1 and 2) and a stopassembly (12 and 13). Note that in this embodiment, two verticaladjustment, horizontal adjustment, vertical pivoting and stop assembliesare shown in conjunction with a common bumper. Those skilled in the artwill understand that the present invention could also be implementedusing only one such assemblies or more than two and that the presentdescription is just an illustrative description on one embodiment.

FIG. 1 is a front and side view of the vertical pivoting assembly 100.The vertical pivoting assembly 100 includes a vertical adjustmentreceiver tube 1 that is fixedly attached to a pivoting bracket 2. Thepivoting bracket 2 contains a bushing 3 to allow for free rotation. Astrike plate 4 is also fixedly attached to the adjustment receiver tube1. The strike plate is needed for the extended or non-compressedposition as shown in FIG. 6. Opposite the strike plate 4 is a lowershock bracket 5. The lower shock bracket 5 is welded to the receivertube 1. The shock bracket 5 is attached to a shock absorber 6 throughsome fastening means such as a pin, bolt, cog-pin or the like. An endcap 23 is fixedly attached to the top of the vertical adjustmentreceiver tube 1. The vertical pivoting assembly 100 is attached to avehicle, such as a trailer, by being fixedly attached to the slide rails7. In the preferred embodiment, a bolt 101 is used to fixedly attach thevertical pivoting assembly 100 to the slide rails 7 through a spacerplate 8.

FIG. 2 is a two-side view of the stop assembly 110. The stop assembly110 includes stops for the extended or non-compressed position and aretracted or compressed position of the vertical pivoting assembly 100.The stop assembly for the extended position includes a front plate 9 anda phenolic plate 10. The front plate 9 is fixedly attached to thehousing 11 of the stop assembly 110 and the trailer bumper (not shown).The phenolic plate 10 acts as a buffer between the vertical front plate9 and the strike plate 4.

The stop assembly 110 also includes a stop block 12 and a strengtheningplate 13. Both of these elements are fixedly attached to the housing 11of the stop assembly 110. The stop block 12 may be fixedly attached tothe housing 11 at an angle that permits the vertical pivoting assembly100 to rotate the bumper 21 under the trailer to the retracted position.An upper shock bracket 14 is fixedly attached to the housing 11. Similarto the lower bracket 5, the upper bracket 14 is attached to the shockabsorber 6 via a pin. The skilled artisan will realize that the shockabsorber 6 can take on a variety of configurations and the presentinvention is not limited to any particular configuration. What isimportant is that a device that allows movement of the vertical pivotingassembly 100 from an extended position (the rest position) to aretracted position upon the application of a force against the bumper 21and the returning of the vertical pivoting assembly 100 to the extendedposition upon the removal of the force against the bumper 21. The entirestop assembly 110 is fixedly attached to the trailer slide rails orother portion of the frame of a truck or trailer.

FIG. 3 is a side view bumper assembly. The bumper assembly 120 includesthe bumper 21 and one or more adjustment plates 20. Each adjustmentplate 20 is fixedly attached to the bumper 21. An end cap 22 is fixedlyattached to each end of the bumper 21. Across the top of the bumper 21,safety grid or threads, as well as a rubber coating, can be placed;however, these details are not illustrated in the figures.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the horizontal adjustment assembly 130. Thehorizontal adjustment assembly 130 includes one or more bumper receiverplates 19, a horizontal adjustment arm 15 associated with each bumperreceiver plate 19 and an end cap 17. The horizontal adjustment arm 15 isfixedly attached at one end to the planer surface of the bumper receiverplate 19. The end cap 17 is fixedly attached to the other end of thehorizontal adjustment arm 15. Along one plane of the horizontaladjustment arm 15 is a series of holes, penetrating through thehorizontal adjustment arm 15, and spaced along the side of thehorizontal adjustment arm. The adjustment plates 20 of the bumperassembly 120 attach to the bumper receiver plates 19. In the preferredembodiment, the adjustment plates 20 are attached to the bumper receiverplates 19 through the use of eight bolts. In addition, preferably eitherthe bumper receiver plates 19 or the adjustment plates 20, and maybeboth, have slots in order to allow for adjustments of the spacing of thetrailer or chassis slide rails. This aspect of the invention enables thepresent invention to be adaptable for use on a variety of vehicle types.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the vertical adjustment assembly 140. Thevertical adjustment assembly includes one or more horizontal receivertubes 16 fixedly attached to a vertical adjustment arm 15. The verticaladjustment arm 15 slideably engages and fits within the verticaladjustment receiver tube 1. Both the vertical adjustment arm 15 and thevertical receiver tube 1 include a series of holes penetrating throughthe elements and when they are slideably engaged, one or more pair ofholes (one on each element) can be aligned. The vertical adjustment armis held in a position within the vertical adjustment receiver tube 1preferably by the use of one or more pins or bolts that are slid throughthe aligned holes. Similarly, the horizontal adjustment arm 18 slideablyengages and fits within the horizontal receiver tube 16 and is held inplace by one or more pins or bolts passing through aligned holespenetrating both the horizontal receiver tube 16 and the horizontaladjustment arm 18. It should be apparent that the use of multiple holesat various spacing configurations in the vertical adjustment arm 15,vertical receiver tube 1 horizontal adjustment arm 18 and horizontalreceiver tube allow the assemblies to be adjusted vertically andhorizontally, thereby accommodating various trailer and truck sizes andstyles.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the bumper system 200 of the present inventionin the extended, or at rest position. In this position, the verticalpivoting assembly 100 is in a substantially perpendicular position to aground plane (not shown) and the strike plate 4 is resting againstphenolic plate 10. The shock absorber 6 is in a non-compressed positionor a slightly compressed position to ensure that the strike plate 4 isheld securely against the phenolic plate 10.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the bumper system 200 of the present inventionin the retracted position. In this position, the vertical pivotingassembly 100 is rotated until a surface of the vertical receiver tube 1comes to rest against the stop block 12. The shock absorber 6 is in acompressed position.

FIG. 8 is a front view of one embodiment of the assembled bumper system.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the assembled bumpersystem.

In both FIGS. 8 and 9, two housings 11 are illustrated with a bumpersystem being attached thereto. The housings 11 can be attached to therail of a trailer or vehicle either by means of bolts, welding or othertechniques for permanently or semi-permanently attaching metalliccomponents. This is a novel advancement in the art in that the housingscan be attached to any rails of the trailer and, because the housingsare independently attached, the particular distance between the rails isirrelevant. Thus, any bumper system that includes vertically extendingmembers that are either in alignment with the rails of the trailer orvehicle, or that can be adjusted to be in alignment with the rails canbe attached to the vehicle using the described housings. Because thevertically extending members of the bumper assemblies can be removablyattached to the housing 11, damaged bumper systems can be easilyreplaced. Thus for non-adjustable bumper systems that are configured fora particular rail width, a damaged bumper system can easily be removedand replaced. In addition, a universal bumper system that includesadjustable vertically extending elements can be easily attached to anyvehicle or trailer that includes the housings 11.

It will also be appreciated that although the present embodiments havebeen described as being particularly suitable for a pivoting bumperassembly, the housing assemblies are also applicable for use with arigid bumper assembly. Novel aspects of the housings 11 include theability to be independently attached to the rails of a vehicle ortrailer irrespective of the distance between the rails, the ability tobe attached to a side or bottom surface of the rail, and the ability toremovably attach bumper assemblies to the rails of a vehicle or trailer.These novel aspects are applicable for bumper systems that includeadjustable for fixed vertically extending members and that are pivotallyor rigidly attached to the housing 11.

FIGS. 10 to 17 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention.In this embodiment, an alternate stop assembly 115 is illustrated. Thestop assembly 115 includes stops for the extended or non-compressedposition and a retracted or compressed position of the vertical pivotingassembly 100. The stop assembly for the extended position includes afront stop block 64 that engages the strike plate 4 of the verticallypivoting assembly 100. The front stop block 64 is fixedly attached tofront stop assembly 60 that is attached to the frame or chassis of thevehicle using a bolt 102. The stop assembly 110 also includes a backstopblock 62 and an attachment block 66. Both of these elements are fixedlyattached to the housing 68 of the stop assembly 115. The backstop block12 may be fixedly attached to the housing 68 at an angle that permitsthe vertical pivoting assembly 100 to rotate the bumper assembly 150under the trailer to the retracted position. An upper shock bracket 14is fixedly attached to the housing 68. Similar to the lower bracket 5,the upper bracket 14 is attached to the shock absorber 6 via a pin.

The bumper assembly 150 of this embodiment includes the horizontaladjustment arm 18, however, a bumper 70, includes multiple mountingholes so that the horizontal adjustment arms 18 can be mounted tovarious positions of the bumper 70. This aspect of this embodimentallows the bumper to be more universally adaptable to a variety oftrucks types and styles.

FIGS. 18 a and b illustrate a mounting assembly that can be adapted foruse in a variety of bumper systems. This mounting assembly providesadditional flexibility in the universal mounting of bumper systems. Asubstantially horizontally member 1830 includes a face plate 1810. Itshould be appreciated that on a bumper system that only includes avertically extending member, the face plate could be attached to thevertically extending member. The step portion 21 of a bumper assembly isheld flush against the face plate 1810 through the use of a squaredbracket 1820 that includes two mounting flanges 1840. The mountingflanges 1840 includes mounting holes 1850 that are in alignment withmounting holes 1860 in the face plate 1810. In operation, step portion21 is applied to the face plate 1810 and then held in place by thesquared bracket 1820 and secured through the use of bolts insertedthrough the mounting holes 1850 and 1860. This structure advantageouslyallows any step portion to be mounted to the bumper assembly without theneed to have alignment holes in the step portion or to drill additionalmounting holes in the step portion. The squared bracket 1820 allows thestep portion to be mounted to the vertically extending elements of abumper assembly regardless of the distance between the housings mountedto the rails of the trailer or vehicle. As best seen in FIG. 9, thehousing 11 (also referred to as a gusset) receives a verticallyextending member 15 which can then include a horizontally extendingmember 18. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, mounting assemblyfrom FIGS. 18 a–b could be attached to the horizontally extendingelement 18. Alternatively, the mounting assembly could be attached tothe vertically extending member 15. It should be appreciated that thehousing 11 could also be constructed in such a way that the front plate9 of the housing 11 could receive the squared bracket 1820 of themounting assembly. In such an embodiment, the front plate 9 of thehousing 11 may need to extend further down to ensure that the step ismounted at the regulated distance from the road surface. Referring backto FIG. 3, the mounting assembly shown there includes a plate 20 thatmounts flush to plate 19. In the mounting assembly illustrated in FIGS.18 a–b, the plate 20 is replaced by the squared bracket 1820.Advantageously, the step portion 21 does not require the mounting plate20 to be fixedly attached to the step portion but rather, the squaredbracket can be attached to the face plate 1810 at the location of theface plate 1810 thus making the step portion 21 to be a universallymountable part.

The squared bracket 1820 may include a compressible coating on theinterior that can be used to more securely hold the step portion 21 inposition. Alternative embodiments may include other abrasive materialsor deformations on the interior of the squared bracket 1820 or on thesurface of the face plate 1810 to provide frictional support in securingthe step portion 21.

FIGS. 19 a–19 b illustrate another mounting assembly that can be adaptedfor use in a variety of bumper systems. This mounting assembly providesadditional flexibility in the universal mounting of bumper systems. Asubstantially horizontally member 1930 includes a face plate 1910 thatincludes two mounting flanges 1940 that are substantially perpendicularto the plane of the face 1912 of the face plate 1910. It should beappreciated that on a bumper system that only includes a verticallyextending member, the face plate could be attached to the verticallyextending member. The step portion 21 of a bumper assembly is held flushagainst the face 1913 of the face plate 1910 through the use of asquared bracket 1920 that extends over the mounting flanges 1940 of theface plate 1910. The mounting flanges 1940 includes mounting holes 1960that are in alignment with mounting holes 1950 in the squared bracket1920. In operation, step portion 21 is applied to the face 1912 of theface plate 1910 and then held in place by the squared bracket 1820 andsecured through the use of bolts inserted through the mounting holes1950 and 1960. This structure advantageously allows any step portion tobe mounted to the bumper assembly without the need to have alignmentholes in the step portion or to drill additional mounting holes in thestep portion. The squared bracket 1920 allows the step portion 21 to bemounted to the horizontally or vertically extending elements of a bumperassembly regardless of the distance between the housings mounted to therails of the trailer or vehicle. As best seen in FIG. 9, the housing 11(also referred to as a gusset) receives a vertically extending member 15which can then include a horizontally extending member 18. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, mounting assembly from FIGS. 19 a–bcould be attached to the horizontally extending element 18.Alternatively, the mounting assembly could be attached to the verticallyextending member 15. It should be appreciated that the housing 11 couldalso be constructed in such a way that the front plate 9 of the housing11 could receive the squared bracket 1920 of the mounting assembly. Insuch an embodiment, the front plate 9 of the housing 11 may need toextend further down to ensure that the step is mounted at the regulateddistance from the road surface. Referring back to FIG. 3, the mountingassembly shown there includes a plate 20 that mounts flush to plate 19.In the mounting assembly illustrated in FIGS. 18 a–b, the plate 20 isreplaced by the squared bracket 1920. Advantageously, the step portion21 does not require the mounting plate 20 to be fixedly attached to thestep portion but rather, the squared bracket can be attached to the faceplate 1910 at the location of the face plate 1910 thus making the stepportion 21 to be a universally mountable part.

The squared bracket 1920 may include a compressible coating on theinterior that can be used to more securely hold the step portion 21 inposition. Alternative embodiments may include other abrasive materialsor deformations on the interior of the squared bracket 1920 or on thesurface of the face plate 1910 to provide frictional support in securingthe step portion 21. In addition, the squared shape bracket 1920 is onlysquared shape in order to accommodate the shape of the step portion 21.Alternative shapes can also be used for the step portion 21 and thebracket, such as C-shaped, V-shaped or the like, and the presentinvention is not limited to any particular shape.

FIGS. 20 a–20 b illustrate another mounting assembly that can be adaptedfor use in a variety of bumper systems. This mounting assembly providesadditional flexibility in the universal mounting of bumper systems. Asubstantially horizontally member 2030 includes a square bracket 2010that includes mounting holes 2060. It should be appreciated that on abumper system that only includes a vertically extending member, thesquared bracket 2010 could be attached to the vertically extendingmember. The step portion 21 of a bumper assembly is held within theinterior 2012 of the square bracket 2010 by screws being inserted intothe mounting holes 2060 and tightened against the surface of the stepportion 21. In operation, square bracket 2010 is slid onto the stepportion 21 and then held in place by the mounting screws in mountingholes 2060. This structure advantageously allows any step portion to bemounted to the bumper assembly without the need to have alignment holesin the step portion or to drill additional mounting holes in the stepportion. The square bracket 2010 allows the step portion 21 to bemounted to the horizontally or vertically extending elements of a bumperassembly regardless of the distance between the housings mounted to therails of the trailer or vehicle. As best seen in FIG. 9, the housing 11(also referred to as a gusset) receives a vertically extending member 15which can then include a horizontally extending member 18. In theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 9, mounting assembly from FIGS. 18 a–bcould be attached to the horizontally extending element 18.Alternatively, the mounting assembly could be attached to the verticallyextending member 15. It should be appreciated that the housing 11 couldalso be constructed in such a way that the front plate 9 of the housing11 could receive the square bracket 2010 of the mounting assembly. Insuch an embodiment, the front plate 9 of the housing 11 may need toextend further down to ensure that the step is mounted at the regulateddistance from the road surface. Referring back to FIG. 3, the mountingassembly shown there includes a plate 20 that mounts flush to plate 19.In the mounting assembly illustrated in FIGS. 20 a–b, the plate 20 isreplaced by the squared bracket 2010. Advantageously, the step portion21 does not require the square bracket 2010 to be fixedly attached tothe step portion but rather, can be attached to any location on the step21 through the mounting screws thus making the step portion 21 to be auniversally mountable part.

The squared bracket 2010 may include a compressible coating on theinterior that can be used to more securely hold the step portion 21 inposition. Alternative embodiments may include other abrasive materialsor deformations on the interior of the square bracket 2010 to providefrictional support in securing the step portion 21. In addition, thesquare shape bracket 2010 is only squared shape in order to accommodatethe shape of the step portion 21. Alternative shapes can also be usedfor the step portion 21 and the bracket, such as C-shaped, V-shaped orthe like, and the present invention is not limited to any particularshape.

Thus, the present invention provides an improvement for currentlyavailable bumpers for trucks and trailers. The improved bumper assemblyof the present invention can be installed in new trucks and/or trailersshipped from the manufacturer. In addition, existing trucks and trailerscan be retrofitted to include the bumper system of the presentinvention.

On advantage of the present invention is the shock-absorbing capabilityof the bumper system. Upon receiving impact, the bumper pivots away fromthe force (eg. in the case of a rear bumper, the bumper pivots towardthe front of the vehicle). Thus, unlike current bumper systems, impactto the bumper will not necessarily result in a permanent deformation ofthe bumper system. In stead, the shock absorber absorbs the impact asthe bumper pivots under the impact force. In a preferred embodiment, thebumper system can allow for up to 20 degrees for the bumper assembly topivot. The shock resistance of the stop assembly can be adjusted todifferent levels according to the environment and specific requirementsfor the operator. For instance, different resistances can be utilizeddepending on the size of the truck or trailer and the weight of theloads. The shock absorbers can also include a spring, mounted inparallel to the shock absorber or mounted otherwise, to ensure tensionis applied to the bumper assembly throughout the rotation range.

Another advantage of the present invention is the adjustability of thebumper system. The bumper system of the present invention can beadjusted horizontally (depth) and vertically (height).

Another advantage of the present invention is that installation andremoval of the bumper system is greatly improved. Rather than beingwelded on at the factory, the bumper system of the present invention canbe mounted to a truck or trailer through a series of bolts. Thus, adamaged bumper assembly can be removed and replaced without requiringcutting or welding.

Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a contactwarning capability mounted to the bumper. A sensor 80 (shown in FIG. 6)can be included in the bumper system to determine when the strike plate4 and the phenolic plate 10 are not in contact. This condition indicatesthat a force is being exerted against the bumper assembly. Anotification can then be provided to the driver either through awireless transmission to a receiver, or by turning on an indicator lightor audible warning signal.

Another advantage of the present invention is that as the bumper systemmoves between the extended and retracted positions, the height of thebumper does not fall out of DOT height regulations. In the presentinvention, because the front of the bumper assembly extends in front ofthe pivotal point of the vertical pivoting assembly 100, as movementfrom the extended position to the retracted position occurs, the bumperactually moves closer to the ground.

Thus, as can be seen, the present invention provides a bumper systemthat is novel and useful. The shock-absorbing bumper will help preventcostly damage to itself, and the trailer or truck it is mounted to,during routine dockings. The contact warning system notifies the driverwhen the vehicle has made contact with another object. The bumper systemof the present invention can be easily installed in new or usedequipment and can easily be replaced if damaged. The bumper system ofthe present invention is fully adjustable for desired horizontal andvertical positions and meets current DOT regulations through the entirerange of motion.

Although this disclosure describes the present invention in terms ofexemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to the disclosedembodiments. Rather, a person skilled in the art will construe theappended claims broadly, to include other variants and embodiments ofthe invention, which those skilled in the art may make or use withoutdeparting from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.

1. A bumper assembly for mounting a bumper system to a vehicle ortrailer, the bumper system comprising: a housing comprising: a frontplate; a top plate; a left-side plate; and a right-side plate; thehousing being attachable to the rail of a vehicle substantially near therear portion of the vehicle with at least one of the front, top,left-side or right-side plates being flush with a surface of the rail; aface plate that faces towards the rear of the vehicle and includes aplurality of mounting holes; a c-shaped bracket that includes aplurality of matching mounting holes and that is operative to beattached to the face plate and to securely hold a step portion of thebumper assembly in place.
 2. The bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein avertically extending member extends downward from the housing and theface plate is fixedly attached to the lower end of the verticallyextending member.
 3. The bumper assembly of claim 2, wherein thevertically extending member includes an interior portion and an exteriorportion and the length of the vertically extending member can beadjusted by sliding the interior portion within the exterior portion. 4.The bumper assembly of claim 1, wherein a vertically extending memberextends downward from the housing a horizontally extending member isfixedly attached to the lower end of the vertically extending member andthe face plate is fixedly attached to the rearward facing end of thehorizontally extending member.
 5. The bumper assembly of claim 4,wherein the horizontally extending member includes an interior portionand an exterior portion and the length of the horizontally extendingmember can be adjusted by sliding the interior portion within theexterior portion.
 6. A system for enabling the removable attachment of abumper assembly to the rails of a vehicle or trailer, the systemcomprising: at least two housings, with each housing comprising: a frontplate; a top plate; a left-side plate; and a right-side plate; eachhousing being attachable to the rail of a vehicle substantially near therear portion of the vehicle with at least one of the front, top,left-side or right-side plates being flush with a surface of the rail; aface plate that faces towards the rear of the vehicle and includes aplurality of mounting holes; a c-shaped bracket that includes aplurality of matching mounting holes and that is operative to beattached to the face plate and to securely hold a step portion of thebumper assembly in place.
 7. The system of claim 6, further comprising avertically extending member that attaches at an upper end to the housingand includes the face plate on the lower end.
 8. The system of claim 7,wherein the vertically extending member can be adjusted to differentlengths.
 9. The system of claim 6, further comprising a verticallyextending member that attaches at an upper end to the housing andincludes a horizontally extending member on the lower end, thehorizontally extending member being substantially parallel to the railand the face plate being included on the end of the horizontallyextending member facing the rear of the vehicle.
 10. The system of claim7, wherein the horizontally extending member can be adjusted todifferent lengths.